International

Turkish employee with U.S. consulate in Istanbul arrested over link to terror group

10:10, Thursday, 05 October, 2017

A Turkish employee working for the U.S. consulate general in Istanbul was arrested on Wednesday over alleged link to the movement led by Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen, state-run Anadolu News Agency reported. The Turkish national, identified as Metin Topuz, is charged with "political and military espionage" and "attempting to remove the constitutional order," the report said. Anadolu agency said Topuz had connections with former police chiefs and a fugitive prosecutor, who are believed to be members of the Gulen movement, now listed by Ankara as a terror group called Fetullah Terrorist Organization. The Hurriyet daily said Topuz was detained by police four days ago. Turkey believes that the coup bid on the night of July 15 last year, in which 250 people were killed, was orchestrated by Gulen's followers in the military and has been pushing for his extradition.